Architect

Inside Luxury King Francois Pinault's Private Palazzo Museums

Filed under: Art, Wealth, Architecture & Design

Francois Pinault is a man justifiably envied by many. With a fortune of $8.7 billion the high-school dropout-turned luxury goods titan is the majority shareholder of PPR, whose brands include Gucci, Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent and Bottega Veneta. He also owns famed auction house Christie's and the renowned Chateau Latour winery. His amazing contemporary art collection, worth an estimated $1.4 billion, encompasses 2,000-plus works by over 80 artists including Jeff Koons, Richard Prince, Takashi Murakami and Damien Hirst. Much of it is now housed as his two incredible private museums in Venice, the Palazzo Grassi and the Punta della Dogana. Both historic buildings were transformed by Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architect Tadao Ando and are the subject of a smashing new book from Skira Rizzoli.

Tadao Ando: Venice - The Pinault Collection at the Palazzo Grassi and the Punta della Dogana shows how Ando's designs seamlessly blend history and innovation while adhering to the strict laws governing the preservation of historic buildings in Venice. At the Palazzo Grassi, prominently located on the Grand Canal, Ando's quiet but expert renovation of the eighteenth-century rooms makes a perfect backdrop for Jeff Koons' eye-popping balloon sculptures. At the Punta della Dogana (shown on the cover above), the Venetian Republic's original customs warehouse, the large-scale space was subtly subdivided into refined rooms for installation art. The "dialogue – that is collision and friction – between the new and the old," Ando states, "is the driving force in creating a city's future."

Tags: architect, architecture, art, art collection, Balenciaga, billionaire, Bottega Veneta, Chateau Latour, contemporary art, Damien Hirst, France, Francois Pinault, Gucci, Italy, Jeff Koons, luxury goods, museum, PPR, Richard Prince, Tadao Ando, Takashi Murakami, Venice, Yves Saint Laurent

Lord Foster Designs $70 Million Factory for McLaren's New Supercar

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Architecture & Design

Famed British architect Lord Norman Foster has designed a stunning new $70 million Production Centre for McLaren where the legendary racing marque is busy assembling their wicked new MP4-12C supercar. The sleek new facility is an adjunct to McLaren's Technology Centre at the UK HQ, which Foster also designed and built for the company. Every aspect of the the Production Centre, a shrine to the ultimate in automotive technology and car design, is "clean, clinical and present for good reason," Wallpaper notes. The Production Centre is a low energy, eco-friendly structure with a roof designed to collect rainwater and a displacement ventilation system. It's connected to the Technology Centre by an underground walkway for ease of communication between McLaren's design and engineering teams. The overall effect is straight out of a James Bond film with its all-white interior, ceramic tiled floors and all-black technician's outfits; the only splashes of color come from the cars themselves.

Gallery: Lord Norman Foster for McLaren

[via JamesList]

Tags: architect, architecture, car design, design, Foster + Partners, Lord Norman Foster, McLaren, McLaren MP4-12C, Norman Foster, supercar, UK

The Ultimate Car Collector's Crash Pad, Yours for a Cool $35 Million

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Luxury Cars & Autos, Architecture & Design

For a cool $35 million you can get the ultimate car collector's crash pad in Montecito, California, a modernist masterpiece designed to house a world-class collection of 35 cars – that's $1 million per car – in a stunning automotive art gallery. Walls and pillars lined in walnut give way to massive plate glass windows fronting on a sweeping terrace so that the car collection is integrated into life of the house. Of course you also get 15,000-square-feet of living space into the bargain. Designed by architect Steve Hermann and dubbed the Glass Pavilion in homage to the late Philip Johnson, it's set within a 3.5 acre estate of oak groves near to where Al Gore recently spent nearly $9 million on a Mediterranean-style mansion. Other famous neighbors include Oprah WInfrey, Steve Martin, Jeff Bridges and John Cleese. Massive structural steel beams allow for acres of glass that appear to be floating above the rolling lawns. The kitchens and baths are fitted out by famous names such as Varena, Poliform and Antonio Lupi. In each category the "best and most exciting products from around the world" were sourced to make the entire house, which took six years to compete, utterly flawless.

Gallery: Car Collector's Glass Pavilion

[via JamesList]

Tags: Al Gore, architect, architecture, California, car collection, cars, classic cars, estates, Montecito, real estate, Steve Hermann

The Classicist: A Piece of Architectural History in Watch Hill, Yours for $19.5 Million

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, The Classicist, Wealth

Last week The Classicist told you about a historic Hudson River estate being restored to its former glory. That posh property is being thoroughly enjoyed by its new owners, but there's another architectural gem of equally impressive provenance now available with the added bonus of oceanfront acreage – The Timbers in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. Set high above the ocean on a picturesque stretch of beach, the majestic eight-acre compound comprises one of the grandest historic oceanfront estates in New England that's still in private hands. The mansion was built in 1917 and designed by celebrated architect John Russell Pope, who created the Jefferson Memorial and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The estate recently underwent a meticulous and historically accurate $10 million restoration, reflecting Pope's original vision. It's now been listed for sale by Christie's Great Estates affiliate Seaboard Properties for $19.5 million.

The opulent 10,500-sq.-ft. main residence was styled after a grand English Tudor manor and features baronial touches such as 15 elegant fireplaces, a magnificent grand staircase and a bell tower. In addition to panoramic ocean views it boasts wide-plank oak floors, wrought-iron chandeliers, archways, and light-filled, generously scaled rooms. The spectacular living room features 35-foot-high cathedral ceilings, exposed English oak beams, and a beautifully crafted wraparound balcony with a carved wooden balustrade. Large French doors on the east side of the living room open to a large covered veranda which features glorious views of the beach and the sounds of the surf as it rolls ashore. At the far end of the veranda, an octagonal dining area features an outdoor woodburning fireplace, wrought-iron chandelier, vaulted ceilings, and archways overlooking the ocean.

Gallery: The Timbers, Watch Hill

Tags: architect, architecture, beach, Christies, Christies Great Estates, historic houses, Jefferson Memorial, John Russell Pope, mansion, ocean, oceanfront, real estate, Rhode Island, Tudor, Washington, Watch Hill

Continue reading “The Classicist: A Piece of Architectural History in Watch Hill, Yours for $19.5 Million”

The Classicist: Historic Hudson River Astor Estate Restored to Its Former Glory

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, The Classicist

Marienruh, a historic fieldstone colonial revival country estate built for heiress Alice Astor, the daughter of John Jacob Astor IV and sister of Vincent Astor, and her Russian aristocrat husband Prince Serge Obolensky in 1926 is being restored to its former glory by its new owners. The gracious mansion, situated on 100 scenic acres given to Alice by her brother overlooking the Hudson River in Rhinebeck, New York, was constructed for the glamorous couple by renowned architect Mott B. Schmidt. It had been on the market for $8.5 million up until last summer when unnamed buyers purchased the property, which had been in institutional use for some time, and set about renovating it – a pleasing reversal in an age where many fine old mansions are being put to less dignified uses, often destroying their souls in the process.

After Alice Astor's death the mansion was used over the years as a Christian youth camp, a home for unwed mothers, a drug rehab center and an events space. Over the decades the house was stripped of nearly all its original details, including fireplace mantels, lighting fixtures, hardware and even the copper gutters. The restoration work is being done extremely carefully, overseen by New York architect-designer Robert Couturier. A few upgrades are of course necessary, and new greenhouses are being installed. One of the wings will now house an elegant two-story tall library. As architectural historian Mark Alan Hewitt notes in The Architecture of Mott B. Schmidt (Rizzoli, 1991), Marienruh's block-with-dependencies design was inspired by two influential 18th century American mansions: Montpelier (1751) in Laurel, Maryland, and the the Hammond-Harwood House (1773-4) in Annapolis, MD.

Marienruh is next to photographer Annie Leibovitz's 220-acre spread which had been listed for sale at $11 million as part of her debt restructuring imbroglio. David Bowie and his wife Iman have reportedly considered buying it; other celebrities with property in the area include Liam Neeson, Gwyneth Paltrow, financier George Soros, hotelier Andre Balazs, and Rolling Stone magazine founder Jann Wenner. Leibovitz's property including some stone barns was once part of Alice's father John Jacob Astor IV's 3,500-acre estate Ferncliff; another remnant of that once glorious demesne is the beautiful Astor Courts, designed by Stanford White as a playhouse for Ferncliff with an indoor pool and tennis court, which was was an Estate of the Day last fall with an asking price of $12 million.

Gallery: Marienruh

Tags: Annie Leibovitz, architect, architecture, Astor, Astor family, Astors, country house, David Bowie, estate, Gwyneth Paltrow, historic houses, Hudson River, library, mansion, Maryland, Mott B. Schmidt, New York, restoration, Rhinebeck, Stanford White

Japanese Architect's House Uses Supercars as Decor

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Estates, Luxury Cars & Autos

Japanese architect Takyua Tsuchida has designed the ultimate abode for a car collector short on space in Tokyo. The 2,000-sq.-ft. dwelling features a through-floor garage / lift / display unit so the owner can enjoy his assemblage of supercars as part of a rotating decor scheme. The storage space holds nine cars, including a special Anniversary Edition Lamborghini Countach, which can be elevated for display in the living room via a hydraulic platform. Dubbed the "KRE", the house is light, airy, modern and minimalist with unfinished wooden floors, the better to display the owner's supercar collection to advantage. The interior also features Bauhaus furniture and a full-sized living tree. Tsuchida's No. 555 design studio has won many awards and accolades from avant garde architecture publications.

Gallery: Supercar House by Takyua Tsuchida

Tags: architect, architecture, car collection, garage, Japan, Lamborghini, supercars, takyua tsuchida, Tokyo

The Architecture of Sanctuary: Calistoga Ranch

by Susan Kime (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, By Design

To anyone who lives in Napa Valley, or in San Francisco or even on the Western edge of the United States, Calistoga Ranch is significant resort. Located in a secluded canyon in upper Napa Valley, The property is part of Auberge, one of the world's premiere resort companies. It has won multiple awards, most recently from Travel & Leisure and from Andrew Harper both in 2009. Calistoga Ranch is also a Luxist Awards nominee for Best Green Spa.

Being a guest there for a day or two, allows you to see how different the resort design is, and how the well the design fits with the needs of the guests or of the owners who own part of the fractional residences on the property. Located on 157 acres just outside the town of Calistoga in Napa Valley, California, Calistoga Ranch is one of the few seasoned hotels and Private Residence Clubs in California wine country, encompassing 47 guest lodges and 27 owners lodges.

The property's contemporary architecture is inspired by its natural surroundings, and was created to fit the landscape, with a focus on an indoor-outdoor lifestyle. In keeping with the rich wine producing heritage of Napa Valley, Calistoga Ranch has an on-site vineyard and mountain wine cave, where owners and guests can share in the process of winemaking and viticulture. They can also store their own wine in the wine cave store facilities where the temperature always is cool, and dry.

Tags: Alain de Bouton, AlainDeBouton, Architect, Auberge resorts, AubergeResorts, Calistoga Ranch, camground legacy style, CamgroundLegacyStyle, Napa Valley, Private Residence Clubs, PrivateResidenceClubs, SB Architects, SbArchitects, Scott Lee, ScottLee, The Architecture Of Happiness, TheArchitectureOfHappiness, town of calistoga

Continue reading “The Architecture of Sanctuary: Calistoga Ranch”

Dramatic Indoor Treehouse Eatery Opens in Vegas

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Architect David Rockwell has constructed an 80-ft. tall "treehouse" inside Crystals at Las Vegas' $8.5 billion CityCenter to house a dramatic new eatery called Mastro's Ocean Club. Guests enter the restaurant through an elegant portal of wood-lined lowered ceilings and meandering walls into a dining room featuring curved white leather booths and banquettes accenting hand-crafted mahogany beams and sapele wood. On the dining terrace, Mastro's offers views of the angular shapes, towering ceilings and the unique artistic elements of Crystals. The signature grand bar and piano provide a livelier, energetic dining atmosphere with live entertainment seven days a week. Crystals is the nucleus of CityCenter, located on 67 acres between the Bellagio and Monte Carlo resorts on the Las Vegas Strip, features several hotels, entertainment venues and luxury boutiques.

Gallery: Mastro's Ocean Club

Tags: architect, architecture, David Rockwell, DavidRockwell, Las Vegas, LasVegas, restaurant, treehouse

Perini Navi Panthalassa Yacht by Foster + Partners

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing

Italian yachtbuilder Perini Navi, makers of the world's finest sailing yachts including the famous Maltese Falcon, have collaborated with superstar British architect Lord Norman Foster on its latest launch, the 184-ft. Panthalassa (above). Designed specifically for use as an ultra-luxe charter in the Caribbean and Mediterranean with rates beginning at about $300,000 per week, the all-aluminum alloy ketch can reach a maximum speed of 15 knots and has accommodations for up to 12 guests and a crew of 10. Foster + Partners designed the yacht's spaces as a fusion of contemporary living and the finest nautical heritage.

Outside the decks features a variety of places for relaxing and outdoor dining . Flexible, open living areas are the hallmark of the craft's interiors characterized by a lounge, bar, library and boardroom all featuring glazed screens that can be opened to create a generous central saloon. The three decks are connected by an oval stair, which is surrounded by light-reflecting acrylic rods to mirror daylight back into the living areas. Materials include teak, saddle leather and granite table surfaces. Inside the cabins, leather wall paneling complements silk rugs and gold and black marble tiled baths.

[via JamesList]

Tags: architect, Foster Partners, Foster Partners, Italy, Lord Norman Foster, LordNormanFoster, Maltese Falcon, MalteseFalcon, Norman Foster, NormanFoster, Perini Navi, PeriniNavi, sailing, sailing yacht, SailingYacht, UK, yacht

Bell & Ross Apparently The Official Watch Of Leather Daddies Everywhere

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Celebrity Shopping

Any conservative people at Bell & Ross corporate needed to simply suck this one up. World famous architect and interior designer Peter Marino recently visited Bell & Ross headquarters to check out their latest watch collection and was apparently quite impressed with the Bell & Ross BR01 Airbone - a controversially styled watch meant to honor American airborne paratroopers.

In some marketing images for Bell & Ross, the oft leather-clad Marino was photographed wearing the square-shaped, skull-faced watch in what will surely be a message to fans of his work, and fans of his wardrobe. At least here in San Francisco I can say that leather-clad gentlemen all around will likely perceive this image to mean that Bell & Ross should be the official timepiece of the leather daddy lifestyle, the black leather lifestyle and look that can't be mistaken for just a biker who has taken the look a bit further. I think of it as the bondage outfit look turned metropolitan.

New York based Peter Marino's designs and work are nothing like how he dresses actually, and typically represent quite comfortable and inviting spaces. His work is actually very good and impressively dynamic. His large portfolio of work includes retail shops, hotels, private residences, and much more. He is one of the most well-rounded architects that I know of today. Select famous clientele include Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Andy Warhol, Giorgio Armani, Calvin Klein, and many more.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Gallery: Bell & Ross BR01 Airbone watch

Tags: airborne, architect, bell ross, BellRoss, br01, leather, peter marino, PeterMarino, watch

Swiss Hermit Wins Architecture Prize

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

Peter Zumthor is now $100,000 richer, and you probably have no idea who he is. The reclusive, introverted Swiss architect won the highly coveted Pritzker Prize. Zumthor is well-known in the architecture field – revered, even – but few know of him otherwise.

At first, little on Zumthor's resume. He's built a one-room chapel in a German farm field. A public bath and a handful of museums also bear his visual signature. Of course, an interpretive center at the size of what was once Gestapo headquarters catches a bit of attention, but that's about it. His style is austere, not what usually forces its way into the headlines.

The Pritzker jury chose Zumthor largely because this isn't the best time to reward ostentation. The Swiss architect's approach, which focuses only on the essentials, is effectively calibrated to global sentiment ... and brutal fiscal reality.

Zumthor will receive his gold medallion and check at the grand Legislative Palace of the City Council on May 29, 2009 in Buenos Aires. Look for him on the red carpet ... kidding.

Source

Tags: architect, architects, architectural, architecture, argentina, buenos aires, BuenosAires, pritzker, pritzker prize, pritzkerprize, swiss

Vuitton Designer Marc Jacobs Buying $13 Million
NYC Townhouse?

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Louis Vuitton designer Marc Jacobs is said to have signed a contract to buy a $13 million townhouse (above) designed by starchitect Robert A.M. Stern in New York's West Village, the Real Estalker reports. The 4,5000-sq.-ft. townhouse, located on Bethune St., is part of the ambitious, ecologically-friendly Superior Ink development which has also attracted the likes of Hilary Swank. The townhouse features its own all-level elevator, wood-burning fireplaces, a designer garden and rooftop terrace.

The Superior Ink Condominiums and Townhouses are newly constructed structures located on the site of the former Superior Ink factory that was built in 1919. The high-priced complex's luxury amenities include a private screening room, an entertainment lounge, a fitness center with a Pilates/yoga room, a children's playroom, 24-hour valet parking, and 24-hour concierge and doorman services in the tower, pictured above at left. Buyers have a choice of luxurious custom finishes.

Tags: architect, celebrity, Hilary Swank, HilarySwank, Louis Vuitton, LouisVuitton, Manhattan, Marc Jacobs, MarcJacobs, New York, New York City, NewYork, NewYorkCity, Robert A.M. Stern, RobertA.m.Stern, townhouse

NetJets Falcon 7X by Lord Norman Foster

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

When NetJets Europe placed the largest order in business aviation history with manufacturer Dassault, for 33 Falcon 7X aircraft, they decided that the $1.5 billion worth of jets needed a little something special. The company commissioned British architect Lord Norman Foster (above) to design the interior and exterior of the high-tech planes, the fastest Falcon ever made. Foster drew on his experience both as a pilot and a NetJets client for the project, the result of which was just unveiled. The 33 7X's are being integrated into the NetJets fleet over the next eight years.

Foster's 7X is "thematically zoned into a well-being space for customers and a work space for crew." The passenger cabin is "light and tranquil" featuring leather seating, a cream and tan color scheme and Fiddleback Sycamore wood fittings. Foster designed the seating arrangements to accommodate both business meetings and an "enhanced sleeping and dining experience." The work area is markedly different with an industrial vibe featuring a grey and black color scheme, employing carbon fiber and steel for the galley and crew areas.

Gallery: Falcon 7X by Lord Norman Foster

Source

Tags: Architect, Dassault, Falcon 7X, Falcon7x, Lord Norman Foster, LordNormanFoster, NetJets, NetJets Europe, NetjetsEurope, Private jets, PrivateJets

Ltd. Edition Complete Works of Jean Nouvel

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Books

The complete works of Jean Nouvel, France's most unique and internationally celebrated contemporary architect and winner of the 2008 Pritzker Prize, are featured in a new limited edition book. Restricted to 1,000 signed and numbered copies, the two volume set (above) is packaged in a translucent plexiglass slipcase specially designed by Nouvel and priced at $700. Nouvel worked for five years together with author Philip Jodidio to assemble this monograph, published by Taschen. Each volume features 400 pages of completed projects and works in progress, such as the new Louvre in Abu Dhabi, the Philharmonie de Paris, and the extension of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. All of the book's graphic design and images were conceived and selected by the architect himself.

Gallery: Works of Jean Nouvel

Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art and Cartier Headquarters, Paris (France) 1991-1994

Culture and Convention Center, Lucerne (Switzerland) 1992-2000

Quai Branly Museum, Paris (France) 1999-2006

Tags: Architect, Architecture, France, Jane Nouvel, JaneNouvel, Pritzker Prize, PritzkerPrize, Taschen

Wiggle Chair

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Looking like it's been poured into position, the Wiggle Chair was designed by architect Frank Gehry back in 1972 as part of the "Easy Edges" series that incorporates unusual materials, such as cardboard, in furniture. Comprised of approximately 60 layers of cardboard held together with hidden screws and a fiberboard edging, the complete "Easy Edges" series includes (in addition to the Wiggle Chair) a Side Chair, Dining Table, and Low Table Set. Made in Germany for Vitra, the Wiggle Chair is available in natural or white edge finishes and goes for $875.

Source

Tags: architect, architecture, cardboard, chair, easy edges, EasyEdges, frank gehry, frank o. gehry, FrankGehry, FrankO.Gehry, gehry, wiggle, wiggle chair, WiggleChair

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